Protecting the legs of working horses will help save them from stress-related injuries and self-inflicted interference. Written by Jayne Pedigo for EquiSearch.

0

SHARES

In addition to the boots and wraps that have been mentioned in Parts 1 and 2 of this article, there are a variety of boots that have specialized uses.

Ankle Boots

Ankle boots are designed to protect the sesamoid bones in the fetlock from interference during galloping or jumping. They can be made of leather or neoprene and have a padded cup on the inside for added protection.

Galloping Boots

Galloping boots provide protection and support for any horse that is doing fast work, such as eventers, reiners, stock horses etc. They reach from just below the knee to below the fetlock and are available in fleece or felt lined leather, or neoprene.

Advertisement

Open-Front Jumping Boots

The purpose of open-front jumping boots is to protect the back of the fore leg from accidental kicks from the hind legs when jumping, while at the same time allowing the horse to feel it when he brushes a fence. They can be either leather, usually lined with felt or fleece, or neoprene. They attach by means of narrow straps that criss-cross over the front of the leg. Care should be taken not to do the straps up too tight.

Skid Boots

Skid boots provide protection for the back of the fetlock in horses that are required to perform slides, such as reining horses. They are cupped to fit over the back of the fetlock, so putting them on in the right place should be simple, but care should be taken that they are fastened tightly enough so they don't slip, without being too tight.

There are also a large variety of combination boots, designed to provide protection and support for the structures of the lower leg, such as the Sports Medicine Boots

If you watch a rider training for an upper-level activity, you'll probably notice that the horse is outfitted with boots or polo/exercise wraps. The boot choices these riders make are based on both the demands of the sport and the individual needs of thei

You need to wrap your horse?s legs to protect and cover an injured area; provide warmth to stiff/old tendons, ligaments, or fetlocks; control acute-injury swelling and movement; and to protect his legs while trailering hauling.